Recommendations On Getting Started- For Scouts and Scouters

Citizenship training is one of Scouting's four official aims. Service to our communities is one of the most well-known ways of showing citizenship, and community service requirements are found from rank advancement to merit badges.

If you are trying to build gear dryers with your troop as a fun community service and learning opportunity, I would recommend starting out by doing the following:

1. Download and read through both sets of instructions for gear dryers. See if this project is feasible based on the age ranges, skill sets, and resources available to your troop.

2. Fill out the form labeled "interest in project" on the Project Summary page of this website.

3. Contact your city, county, or regional fire department. Ask them about their need for gear dryers, and if they would be able to contribute. Things you may want to ask about include:

   1. height, size, and transportation expectations for the dryers

   2. possible budget contributions

   3. donations of used parts (PVC pipes or air blowers)

4. Start thinking about funding. Home improvement stores are often willing to give discounts on scout projects. Power tools can often be borrowed from friends or neighbors.

5. Make sure power tools can be used safely and correctly! Bryan on Scouting clearly explains BSA tool use guidelines: https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2015/03/09/check-the-bsas-tool-use-policy-before-your-next-service-project/

If you are working on your Eagle Scout Project, as a lone scout or associated with a troop, make sure to do the following in addition to the steps above:

1. Download the Eagle Scout Project Workbook, and read through it.

2. When filling out your Project Proposal, some things you may want to think about are:

   1. The way your beneficiary currently dries their gear (this can be used as the "before").

   2. Under "Preliminary Cost Estimate", make sure to include the cost of food and drinks served at your project work days.

   3. The best way to get District Representative approval on the first pass is to be thorough, but not overly wordy.

3. When recording total volunteer hours:

   1. Devise a way to verify hours worked. Signup Genius is a popular app to schedule people on. Sign in sheets are also useful. Make sure you can differentiate between the hours of: BSA youth, other youth, BSA adults, and other adults, as these numbers are all separate in the Project Report.

   2. Devise a way to estimate the time you personally worked on your project. This includes everything from working on funding to recruiting volunteers.

Scoutmasters, ASMs, and Eagle Scouts are all great resources to ask about coordinating community service projects. Best of luck!